Get along with a difficult co-worker

Do you have a co-worker who drives you nuts? Don’t waste your time and energy being angry and annoyed. Instead, follow these tips:

Be the better person. You can’t change people, but you can change how you react to them. Stop letting other people’s behavior bring out the worst in you.

Focus on what’s good about the person. Pinpoint what you like about the person, for example, she always turns in assignments or time or he volunteers to do the job no one else wants. The more you focus on positive attributes, the less you will pay attention to the negative ones.

Be honest. Sometimes you just need to tell your co-workers what is bothering you and ask them to change. Be respectful and polite, but direct. Example: “Could you please turn down your music? It’s making it very hard for me to focus.”